For immediate release:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Withdraw the healthcare bill and start over.
That’s the message in a letter sent today to Sen. Harry Reid from a national physician association representing doctors in all specialties.
The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) asked Senate Majority Harry Reid to give America a real Christmas gift: withdraw the divisive healthcare reform bill.
The majority of Americans don’t want the bill—which is primarily a compulsory insurance bill – including the majority of physicians. More than 40 medical organizations are on the record against the bill, representing more than 500,000 doctors – far surpassing the AMA membership.
There’s something in the 2,000 pages for everyone to hate,” said Jane M. Orient, M.D., AAPS Executive Director, co-signatory of the letter. “It’s bad medicine, and bad public policy.”
The letter states: “The heart of this proposal is compulsory insurance: it forces Americans to buy a product they would otherwise reject, thereby subsidizing the very corporations that are being justly criticized from both the left and the right. This should be unacceptable to all, including both single-payer and free-market advocates…..
…..The current proposal is like giving a patient an injection of 2,000 ingredients—some untested either alone or in combination, some known to have serious adverse effects, and some to be concocted later by an administrative agency. It is bad medicine, and bad public policy.”
Dr. Orient emphasized that the Senate is about to vote away its own authority, delegating it to politically unaccountable bureaucrats. “A vote for this could be the last meaningful vote on health policy that any senator will have the opportunity to cast,” she speculated.“The right thing to do is to start over with thoughtful, one-at-a-time, transparent proposals, with hearings and plenty of constituent input. That is the way a representative, deliberative body is supposed to work—not by backroom deals and arm-twisting to come up with a minimum number of votes.,” warned Dr. Orient.
TEXT OF LETTER BELOW
December 18, 2009
Honorable Harry Reid
Majority Leader
United States Senate
Dear Senator Reid:
The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, which speaks for thousands of physicians in all specialties nationwide, and millions of their patients, urges you to withdraw the current Senate “health-care reform” proposal—simply because it is the only right thing to do.
The heart of this proposal is compulsory insurance: it forces Americans to buy a product they would otherwise reject, thereby subsidizing the very corporations that are being justly criticized from both the left and the right. This should be unacceptable to all, including both single-payer and free-market advocates.
The bill increases costs and decreases choices—the opposite of the stated goals—and is thus a fraud perpetrated on the American people.
There is no way that 2,000 pages replete with bureaucratic requirements and restrictions—and political payoffs—can be fixed. The Senate needs to start over with thoughtful, one-at-a-time, transparent measures. The current proposal is like giving a patient an injection of 2,000 ingredients—some untested either alone or in combination, some known to have serious adverse effects, and some to be concocted later by an administrative agency. It is bad medicine, and bad public policy.
The majority of Americans are opposed to this proposal. The more they learn about it, the more they oppose it. The content of the bill is largely not known even by Senators who are being pressured to vote for it. But in a sense, the details don’t even matter.
We are confounded by your willingness to neuter the U.S. Senate with this bill, abdicating your power and turning so much control over to the Secretary of HHS and other unelected officials.
Some senators fear losing their job if they vote “yes,” some if they vote “no.” Should that be the sole basis for voting? Don’t put them in that dilemma. Think of the future of the U.S. Senate itself as a deliberative, representative body, with meaningful authority.
Give your constituents and your country a real Christmas gift. Preserve our American heritage. Withdraw this bill.
George Watson, D.O., President, and Jane Orient, M.D., Executive Director, AAPS
CC U.S. Senate
Do NOT pass this bill! There is too much at stake. Take time to make it right for doctors, nurses AND patients.
This whole thing is such a scam on the american people. I believe if the American public really new what Washington’s real agends was there would be riots in the streets of Washington, D.C.
This weeks AARP Bulletin , a pro nationalized health care group, stated that even with the current health care plan proposal put forth by Reid, would still have almost 20 MILLION people without insurance!!!!! So why are we doing this Mr. Reid? Govt. power and hundreds of billions of dollars under their control, that’s why.
If that isn’t enough evidence this whole agenda is bad how about the fact the Dems have excluded themselves and Congress from the same insurance program they are trying to cram down our throats. Yet another promise broken by this current President.
We as a nation have to get past our party bickering and get a congress that will listen to the people. The MAJORITY in this country does not want this health care plan and congress could care less what WE THE PEOPLE want. Does this not bother us enough to do something?
The plan should be that ALL encumbents voted out in 2010 and 2012. NO exceptions. Put a DEM or a REP back in office as long as they understand something the current sitting legislators don’t, YOU WORK FOR ME. Short of anarchary this is the most effective way to change the direction the current representation wants to / will take us. We can’t be couch potatoes any more if we are to get back to the values and freedoms our founders fought and died for. Just do it!!!!!
It seems the congress is hellbent on ramming health reform down our throats. It doesn’t really matter what we say or how loud we say it. Common sense is not in play. I, for one, will not be participating in govt health care and may well be forced to drop medicare. They just don’t get it. But, we can make a difference. Vote the bums out!! To do this we will have to keep this issue at the forefront in the next elections. Remember, the electorate have short-term memories. We need to take our country back.